ACN berates Elechi’s dethronement of four royal fathers

Ebonyi State Chairman, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Dr. Sylvester Nwambe has berated the dethronement of four Royal fathers by Governor Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State and warned that he should not politicize the traditional institution in the state. Nwambe, who spoke against the backdrop of the recent dethronement of four traditional rulers, alleged that the governor’s action amounted to an act of intimidation of the royal fathers.
He said the fact that the state government’s action did not follow lay down procedures for disciplining traditional rulers made it draconic, just as the dethronement lacked merit because it did not honour the principles of fair hearing.
The Ebonyi State ACN boss noted with dismay that Governor Elechi had formed the habit of taking undemocratic decisions, as if he was still in a military regime, alleging that such high handed show of power could set false precedents by misdirecting young people away from the path of civility and dialogue, as the basis of transactions in a democracy. Nwambe stressed that it was on the account of the potential of the governor’s action against the four traditional rulers to lead upcoming political leaders astray, that all genuine lovers of democracy should condemn the dethronement of the royal fathers.
He maintained: “Granted that Governor Martin Elechi served under a military regime for a long time, he should not go ahead with the notion that high handed show of power is acceptable in a democracy. We wish to condemn the dethronement of the four traditional rulers from Igbessa clan by the governor because it did not follow the laid down procedures of disciplining traditional rulers.
“There was no inquiry, be it administrative or judicial to examine the so called offences of the traditional rulers before dethroning them. That, traditional rulers are presented to sate governments for recognition do not make the custodians of traditional institution appointees of government, as such, they are not bound to agree with the government on every issue because they have their own opinion about what affects their communities.”
Nwambe therefore called on Elechi to reverse the dethronement immediately so as not to give the impression to the civilized world that he is indeed out of touch with the modern realities of governance and dictates of democracy.